Beauty's Brooch
by Sadz0012
Summary: "A pity date? I don't need one of those. Give me a few days, no man can resist the amazing Sumire Shouda."
1. Dress

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing but the story and ideas.**

* * *

**Beauty's Brooch**

_Chapter 1:__ Dress_

"What do you mean you broke up with him, Sumire? He was supposed to be your date to Mikan's wedding and a bridesmaid cannot be without a partner, you know. It's like, breaking tradition and honor," Nonoko chided, sliding open the curtain to her dressing stall to twist and turn, modeling her dark blue bridesmaid's dress.

"What is this, the nineteenth century or something? She doesn't _have_ to have a partner, you know. She's a perfectly capable and independent woman," Anna, Nonoko's twin, countered as she too came out of her dressing stall, pulling up her baby pink dress.

"She can be as forever alone as she wants, _after_ the wedding," Hotaru dully stated, coming out of her dressing room in a smoky grey dress, not bothering with poses or such.

"Can we just drop this already? And stop talking about me like I'm not right here already!" Sumire snapped, pushing her curtain aside to show off her green bridesmaid's dress, a scowl etched on her smooth features. Aoi, the groom-to-be's little sister, came out after Sumire in a baby blue dress, smiling at the girls.

"She probably broke up with him for a good, logical reason. Let's not gang up on her," Aoi exclaimed, trying to be polite, but comfortable around the group of girls she's come to know and care about the few years she's gotten to know them and her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

"So why did you break up with Reo?" Anna asked, fluffing her thick pink wavy hair that cascaded over her shoulders, before turning to her perm haired friend.

"I haven't seen him in a while, since he's on tour and all. So when I asked him to choose between his job and me, he chose his job. Apparently, he's such a big shot idol, that he can have any girl in the world that he wanted if he tried," Sumire quoted Reo in a mocking tone, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "Like any girl can put up with his sissy antics. He can't even sit through a full horror movie by himself without wetting the bed afterwards."

"You couldn't put up with it for at least two more weeks?" Nonoko asked, groaning to herself as she rubbed her temples to stop the throbbing headache that suddenly arose.

"I barely put up with him for three months, it's a miracle we lasted that long! There's no way I was going to go out with him for an extra second after that!" Sumire huffed, waving the topic away before she turned to a still closed curtain. "Hey, idiot, how much longer are you going to take? Did you fatten up on howalon and can't fit in your dress or something?"

"Mou, Permy you're such a meanie! I was just making sure everything was all right before coming out! Be patient!" Mikan replied in a whining tone, before pushing back the curtains revealing her wedding dress. It was simple, but stunning at the same time. It had a see-through lace for the upper half of her chest to support the dress, holding it around the neck, and sleeveless. Like a second skin, it was fitting around her bosom, down till her hips where a lace was tied around, before it flowed out into a bundle of silk and lace. Sumire's mind was already racing with ideas on how to do Mikan's hair and make-up to compliment the dress perfectly. Even when she wasn't in her salon working, her mind wouldn't rest from her natural sense of womanly beauty.

"It's perfect!" Anna squealed, bending down to feel the texture of the silk, slipping through her fingers like liquid.

"Onii-chan is going to love it," Aoi said, her hand over her heart as she marveled at the woman before her, already picturing her happy life soon to come.

"You think so?" Mikan asked, a light blush crawling it's way over her cheeks, as she twiddled with her fingers.

"Hey, it's your special day, not his. Who cares what he thinks, the dress has to be perfect for you, not him!" Nonoko exclaimed, but was just as well awed by how well the dress fit on Mikan, as if it were made especially for her.

"It's missing something…" Hotaru suddenly broke in, narrowing her eyes slightly in concentration. Sumire also had that type of feeling tossing in her, and she tilted her head, before smiling smugly.

"I got it," she said, before pulling out her brooch from her purse and pinning it on the dress, over the lace tied around Mikan's hip. The brooch was in the shape of a flower, a single rhinestone in the middle, five pearls surrounding it, as the silver base curved inward delicately. Sumire smiled to herself proudly as she took a step back to let the others inspect her masterpiece approvingly. "I'll get you a bigger one that would actually match your dress, but that's the missing piece."

"It's beautiful, Permy! You're a genius!" Mikan joyfully announced, practically bouncing in excitement.

"You still carry that brooch around with you everywhere? Why?" Nonoko asked, tilting her head in a questioning manner. Sumire's eyes clouded over, but only for a split second, before shrugging noncommittally.

"It's pretty, looks expensive, and was a gift. I don't see why not," the feline-like girl replied, taking back the brooch and stuffing it in her purse.

"Seems pretty important though," Anna interjected, pushing the subject more.

"Why is everyone invading over me today again? I broke up with my boyfriend, so what? I like wearing a brooch, so what? Can we let it go already?" Sumire snapped at the twins, who just giggled in turn at her.

"Defensive~!" they sang back as a reply, ticking her off even more.

"Leave it already," Hotaru concluded, and they sighed in defeat.

"You know, I'm sure Natsume has some friends that are single that wouldn't mind being your partner for the wedding," Mikan informed, her eyes not leaving the mirror as she and Aoi tried to look for anything that needed adjusting on the dress before making their final decision.

"A pity date? I don't need one of those. Give me a few days, no man can resist the amazing Sumire Shouda," Sumire boasted, only to get a confused look back from Mikan.

"Didn't you say your beauty salon is expanding recently, so you've been extra busy lately? Do you really have time to go around and pick up a guy?" Mikan asked, which was obviously true, considering the troubled frown carved over Sumire's face. "Come on, it won't be so bad. Plus, it'll be like a blind date. I've met Natsume's friends, and they're not so bad. You'll be introduced to them at tonight's dinner celebration at the restaurant, you do remember that, right?"

"Of course," they all replied simultaneously, which got Mikan smiling giddily.

"You guys are the best, and we'll pick the perfect date for Permy there also! It'll be like a mission for Charles Angels!"

"More like Mission Impossible, with how picky this girl is," Nonoko remarked, earning a glare from the said girl.

"I'll go with the blind date already, if it'll get you guys off my back already, ok? Happy now? But if he can't put up with me, then it's beyond my control," Sumire said in a controlled tone, inspecting her nails, as her mind concocted a variety of different ways to get the guy to despise her. Usually her princess act does the trick, but it doesn't hurt to formulate a few backup plans.

Aoi and Mikan glanced at each other, before an evil smirk formed over their lips, already knowing who'd be the perfect guy for Sumire's pretend-date. "You'll absolutely love him!"

* * *

"Did you kill this man?" Kokoro asked, his smile never leaving his lips, as his eyes inspected the man on the other side of the interrogation desk from him. The man, beaten up and tied to the chair, groaned as he glanced at the picture on the table, before scowling back up at Kokoro.

"Never seen the fucker before," the guy replied, spitting some of his blood out at the picture. Kokoro didn't even flinch, but his smile did certainly grow.

"You're lying."

"Like hell I am!"

"Why are you yelling? No need to get defensive."

"That's before you're getting on my nerves, asshole!"

"No need to swear."

"Why don't you shut up, before I make you!"

"How can you, you're tied up and half alive."

"Are you making fun of me, you piece of shit? You're nothing, you hear me! Once my boys find out that you police shits took me, they'll come after you! They'll get you!" Having enough of this, Kokoro suddenly pulled out his gun, aiming it at the perpetrator. The man ceased his actions, staring at the head of the gun, his mouth still open, but no words could form out of it.

"I'll ask you again, one more time. Did you kill this guy, or not?" Kokoro asked, slowly standing up and leaning over the table, shoving the head of the gun on the guy's forehead. The man looked up at the haunting smile caressing over Kokoro's face, shadows sharpening his expression. Though his mouth was curved in a smile, his eyes obviously weren't. Slightly intimidated, the man shook in his seat, fumbling over his words. "Look, I already know you did it, but I can't book you unless you give a confession. You're already looking at a couple of years in jail for violence against an officer of the law, so if you cooperate with me now, I can try and lessen your sentence. Now, answer my question."

"I… I… I… d-did… it…" the man said dejectedly, hanging his head low when Kokoro finally pulled his gun back.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Kokoro said, turning to make his way out of the interrogation room.

"Hey…" the man called, making Kokoro stop and turn back at him, a curious smile now in place. "Isn't your actions against the law, some shit about cruel and unusual punishments or whatever. I can tell my lawyer to use that against you in the court, this confession will get voided then."

"Who said I was using any cruel or unusual punishments?" Kokoro asked, pulling his gun up and suddenly shot it at the man. The man cringed back and shut his eyes tightly to brace for the pain, but it never came. When he opened his eyes, he saw a couple of bubbles floating around and about the gun, and Kokoro winked at the criminal before leaving the room, smiling at the trail of curses the man shouted behind him as he was hauled away by uniforms.

"That was amazing, you managed to make another criminal confess. How are you so certain they are the ones who did the deed anyways, Mr. Yome? You're like a mind reader or something!" the rooky complimented, and Kokoro just patted the boy's back in encouragement.

"I'm a detective, it's my job. It's no big deal," Kokoro replied modestly as he made his way to desk, slouching on his head with a sigh, smiling up at the ceiling. His moment of peace was suddenly shattered; however, when he felt his cellphone sudden vibrate in his pocket.

"Hello?" Kokoro greeted after accepting the call.

"Just wanted to make sure your idiot mind remembers about the dinner celebration tonight," the man on the other line suddenly said in a bored tone.

"Aw, Natty, calling to check in on me at work. Hearing your voice all worried about me is making me blush, of course I remember our date tonight," Kokoro replied in a girlish tone, but his co-workers around him ignored him, already used to his odd behavior.

"Call me that again and I'll burn your house down."

"Alright, you pyromaniac, no need to pull out the fire threats. Of course I didn't forget, I'll definitely be there."

"Still don't have a date for the wedding?"

"I'm happily single, unlike some people."

"Whatever, see you tonight."

"Bye honey," Kokoro cooed out, but realized Natsume had already hung up on him on the other end of the line. Chuckling to himself, he put his cellphone away, anticipating seeing his friends again, since he'd be buried under work for so long, unaware what the night would bring for him as well.

_**To be continued...**_

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**A/N: I know I wrote chapter one on the top, but this was a spur of the moment type of story. Should I continue it, or not? R&R, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter guys, let me know if I should go on with this idea or not.**


	2. Dinner

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing but the story and ideas.**

* * *

**Beauty's Brooch**

_Chapter 2:__ Dinner_

"Do you remember your own dinner party tonight?" Sumire asked into the phone, her eye twitching in annoyance as she heard a nervous laugh on the other side of the line.

"Um, about that…" Mikan stuttered, before Sumire's patience snapped.

"Why the hell did you remind everyone today as if you are all organized about your wedding, about your life for that matter? How could Natsume even think about marrying a dunce like you? Get off your lazy butt and get ready already, before I tell Hotaru to get you herself with her baka-gun!" Sumire scolded into the phone, aggressively pressing the end call button and replacing the cordless phone on it's stand to recharge, taking a deep breath to calm her growing nerves. 'How is that idiot getting married before me again…?' Sumire thought to herself, shaking her head when she remembered the answer to her own question. 'Because she somehow hypnotized and grew up with a great guy like Natsume under her spell to fall in love with her instead of someone else more suitable for him.'

Sumire patted down her dress of choice for the dinner tonight, inspecting herself in one of her long mirrors. Instead of looking like a piece of seaweed in green like Nonoko repeatedly chided her for doing, she went with a simple black dress for the evening. It wasn't her celebration, so she wasn't supposed to stand out over the bride-to-be, as all the girls agreed. Thin straps and going down to her knees, the dress was brightened with a hot pink silk strap around her waist, tying it with an elegant bow at her back. Not going all out, she applied light smoky make-up, and curled her short hair, putting it in an up-do with a hot pink clip to match the dress. Slipping on her black stilettos, she grabbed her purse and was about to make her way out of her apartment, but she suddenly felt completely vulnerable and exposed.

She froze, snapping her gaze behind her, her eyes taking a clean sweep of the apartment, before she saw her brooch twinkle against the light from the streetlamps outside her window. She heaved a sigh of relief, picking it up and clipping it over her dress strap, smiling to herself at the sight of it. She felt safer with it on, which she thought was just a psychological thing, since it was a present from her father he passed away. Though, even with it on, she couldn't shake the goose bumps crawling over her arms. Closing her curtains, she walked out the door, making sure it was properly locked before going down the stairs and out the building.

Going over to the edge of the sidewalk, she put her hand on her hip, bending over slightly to emphasize on her curves, and her free hand was used to whistle out for a taxi. Immediately, three parked close by to her, honking at her invitingly to get in. Going into the closest one, she gave him the directions to the restaurant, relaxing back in the beat up seats as she looked out the window, hoping the feeling from before was all in her head.

* * *

"Oh my god, Kitsu!"

"Oh my god, Koko!"

"Our outfits are matching!"

"Aren't we just the cutest pair ever?"

"That's because you idiots went shopping together," Mochiage intervened, having enough of their little pep reunion, even though it's only been a few weeks since they last saw each other. They both were wearing an off-white collar shirt, navy blue trousers and dress pants, though the difference being that Kokoro wore a tie and suit jacket with a black scarf hanging loosely over his shoulders, while Kitsu wore a tie and navy blue vest over it. Mochu, on the other hand, wore a white collar shirt with the first few buttons undone, black pants and shoes, and a black velvet jacket with the one button close, for a sexy look.

"Aw, Mochu, don't be all pouty. You can come shopping with us next time," Kokoro replied with a sympathetic look, Kitsu snickering by his side. Mochiage's eye twitched in annoyance, but held it back, already used to ignoring his friends' idiotic nature.

"I'd rather spit in Natsume's food," Mochiage muttered under his breath, however, when he felt a burning gaze glare into his back, he wished he hadn't.

"What was that, Mochiage? I don't think I quite heard you properly," Natsume asked, striding over to join the group outside the restaurant, with a cheerful Ruka trailing to keep up close by. Natsu wore the classy black suit jacket, pants and dress shoes, with a dark red silk collar shirt over it. While Ruka went for a baby blue collar shirt, grey suit, and Italian brown shoes.

"N-nothing…" Mochiage stuttered, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, looking away.

"Natty~!" Kokoro and Kitsuneme both sang out, about to cling to him, but ran a mile away with broad smiles on their faces at the fiery glare he directed at them.

"Were you guys waiting for us? Sorry about that, there was a bit of traffic on the way," Ruka apologized for him and his best friend, as Kitsu waved it off.

"We're the bro team, we'll go in together and make a grand entrance," Kitsu commented, grinning at the idea.

"The next time you call us the bro team, I'll staple your eyes as wide open as Koko's," Natsume threated, a trickle of laughter from Moachu from his side.

"Sounds kinky, I don't think you're wife-to-be would like that," Koko answered for Kitsu, dumbfounded at the moment by the threat, in a teasing manner.

"Let's just go in and get this night over with," Natsume chose to ignore it and strode over to the door, where a man stood ready to open for him.

"I just hope there's an open bar inside," Mochu said under his breath, as the doors open, letting them in. The restaurant was on the Victorian-old style, though extravagant with its chandeliers – strings of diamonds trickling down as they reflected the light. The restaurant was reserved for them, and even then there were many guests attending, some familiar faces popping up here and there. Getting deeper in, Aoi waved at them to come over, as she nudged Mikan by her side to gain her attention. Turning away from some guests she was greeting, she turned to Natsume, and the bright smile she shone at him almost made him stop in his tracks right then and there. Even if she was an idiot, a klutz, outspoken, and such, just seeing her smile made him remember just why he keeps falling in love with her all over again everyday, and why he asked her to marry him in the first place. Closing up the gap between them, Natsume approached the girls, and before he could even get one word out, Mikan hugged him tightly. Giving in, he hugged her back, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Aw, look at the happy couple," Kitsu cooed out, making the other guys try and hold in their laughter. Pulling away from Mikan, Natsume looked down to inspect her dress. A long black dress that hugged all the right places, trying to accentuate her almost nonexistent curves, with a diamond studded strap holding her dress, going around her neck and down her back in three circles to tighten the dress around her. Aoi worse a short simple red strapless dress, with black silhouette roses printed over it, a heart shaped diamond holding it together, tightening the dress at her hip. It was a nice and simple dress, but it's main purpose was for better mobility, since she was running from one side of the room to the other, making sure everything was in order and going as plan. Being the sister-in-law and a bridesmaid was hard work, after all.

"You have feathers in your hair, stupid vet," Hotaru commented, reaching over and pulling out the feathers from Ruka's hair.

"Your concern is touching," Ruka replied back with a warm smile, bending down to make her task easier for her. He blushed, realizing he had a clear view of her cleavage and suddenly backed away, trying to look anywhere else but at her. He had to admit though, the white strapless dress hugged her bosom nicely, flowing down from her hips, and a loose thin black ribbon around her waist tied in a bow giving the dress some color.

"Idiot…" Hotaru said under her breath, shaking her head. "Yes, we understand that you're a happy loving couple that can't wait to get married, but," Hotaru said, suddenly grabbing Mikan's hand and pulling her away from her lover. "We have guests to entertain for the evening, so excuse us."

"Wait!" Mikan said, suddenly pulling out of Hotaru's grip. She turned to Natsume, and he thought she was going to at least give him another hug, or kiss to reassure him that she'd be back, and for him to eagerly wait for her return. However, she ran right past him, and over to Koko. The other guys looked with wide-eyed horror as she suddenly grabbed Koko's hands and gazed up at him with a pleading puppy dog eyes.

"Well this is an awkward," Anna started.

"Moment to join in," Nonoko finished. Anna and Nonoko were wearing similar dresses, accentuating their bosom, a big bow on their hip, a swirling pattern as it went down to their knees, laces on the hem of their dresses, and a light small over jacket. However, the difference being that Anna's dress was pink while the over was white, and Nonoko had a dark purple dress with a dark brown over.

"What's up, Mikan-chan?" Koko asked, his usual smile in place, however weary of Natsume's glaring fiery rage a few feet away from him.

"I have this friend, and she kind of doesn't have a date for the wedding. I was thinking, since I've never really seen you with a girl around and you don't have a plus one for the wedding anyway, that you both might want to go together, perhaps?" Mikan asked with big eyes and pink pouting lips, as if begging him.

"Well, I've never met her or anything…"

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll love her! She's… um… has personality, and… she's pretty… and a little rough around the edges, but-" Mikan tried to find some ways to compliment Sumire, but was drawing up a blank.

"Nice to know how you really think of me," came Sumire's voice, making Mikan jump from the startle. Turning back, Mikan saw Sumire as fashionably late as ever, her hand on her hip with a disapproving look painting over her expression. "You're trying to set me up with a smiling goofball? How low do you think my standards have gone? Don't even bother answering her, whoever you are, because I definitely didn't consent to this. Sorry she wasted your time," Sumire said cooly, grabbing the fumbling Mikan and pulling her away from Koko, striding away to greet the other guests. The girls just followed, waving at the boys to meet up with them later.

"Wow, what a bitch," Mochu snorted, shaking his head at the utter gaud of the girl.

"Man, sorry you had to go through that. But you aren't a smiling goofball, ish, so don't let it get to you!" KItsu tried to consol.

"Um, Koko, are you ok?" Ruka asked, tilting his head in confusion at the look Koko was wearing, watching Sumire's hips as she walked away.

"I think I'm in love…" Koko mumbled, and all the guys looked oddly at him, before Mochu grabbed his arm.

"I think you need a drink."

* * *

"What the hell, Koko? How could you even say that about that girl who dissed you just a moment ago?" Kitsu asked, him, Koko and Mochu sitting by the bar with a glass of alcoholic beverage in each of their hands, while the groom and best man went to entertain the guests.

"Look, relax. I didn't mean about the girl," Koko tried to clarify, but it only seemed to confuse them further.

"What do you mean not the girl? Then what did you think you were in love with, Mikan?" Mochu asked, and it was one of those rare moments that Koko didn't smile, and cringed at the thought.

"Aw, ew, gross man. Mikan is a like a kid sister, I'd never," Koko replied.

"Then what?" Kitsu asked exasperatedly, as Koko took a moment to form his words correctly.

"I'm in love with the mystery involving the girl," Koko whispered thoughtfully, his eyes trailing after the green haired girl's figure, as she put up a smile and greeted a few other guests.

"The fuck is that even supposed to mean?" Mochu asked, as Koko shrugged himself, wanting to see how this whole thing plays out eventually before jumping to conclusions himself.

"Who knows…?"

* * *

"What were you even thinking, setting me up with that type of guy in the first place anyways, you idiot?" Sumire asked, nit picking food here and there from the buffet, as Mikan just dumped everything she saw on her own plate.

"That 'guy' has a name, and it's Yome Kokoro. Koko is a sweet guy, and I'm sure you both will hit it off nicely, I just have a feeling in the pit of my stomach," Mikan answered, when suddenly her stomach growled, and she started eating whatever was already on her plate while throwing more stuff in.

"There's nothing in the pit of your stomach, much like there is nothing up here either," Sumire retorted, gently knocking on Mikan's head.

"Hey!" Mikan pouted at Sumire, who just gave her a 'it's-true-though' kind of face. "Look, if you just give him a chance, I'm sure you both will like each other. Take it from me, the girl who's getting married to her soulmate!"

Sumire clicked her tongue in annouance for being reminded of the fact that her idiot friend was getting married before her, and then turned her gaze to where Mikan was looking dreamily at. Natsume, on the other side of the room, and Sumire could do nothing but stare and sigh in defeat. There was once where Sumire had a massive crush on Natsume as well, and thought that her whole world revolved around him. She even used to bully Mikan because Natsume gave the idiot more attention then Sumire. However, when it was evident that Natsume would never give his heart to another girl other then Mikan, Sumire finally backed off and tried to find a new man of her own. That was a disaster as well, considering ever guy she dated couldn't handle her for more then a couple of weeks.

Turning her gaze back to Mikan, Sumire quirked a brow at her expression, which was one of first shock before turning to a girlish high schooler with a secret.

"Hey there," someone's hot breath suddenly said in Sumire's ear, making the girl jump from the startle, the little food she did have on her plate suddenly went flying. Thankfully it didn't land on anyone and went on the floor, which Sumire just stared down at in disbelief. "Oh, um, oops? That usually worked in the movies."

"I'm just going to…" Mikan excused herself, giggling as she scurried away. Sumire turned to the smiling imbecile, narrowing her eyes up at him.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked, but he ignored her question, grabbing two plates for them, handing one over to her. "No, thank you." Shrugging, he put both plates back, before turning back to her.

"So, what was your name again?" Koko asked, trying to go for the smooth guy type, but Sumire wasn't having any of it.

"I never said," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Right, then I'll introduce myself first. I'm-," he was about to say, but Sumire cut him off.

"Yome Kokoro."

"Oh, so I see my reputation proceeds me," Koko stated, though not in a smug way which most guys would have, but more impressed and happy.

"Mikan wouldn't shut up about it."

"Isn't she just a sweetheart?"

"The sweetest, that I'm getting a cavity from her. Just cut to the chase and tell me what do you want."

"A no-nonsense type of girl, my opposite. I'm interested in you," Koko admitted, not beating around the bush, but this only made Sumire even more suspicious of his intentions.

"And…?"

"Want to be my plus one for Natsume's and Mikan's wedding?"

"If you don't back off, I'll make sure to minus a few things before you leave the restaurant tonight," Sumire threatened with narrowed eyes, turning away from him, her curls swishing with the force, and began to stride away from him.

"I'll take that as a maybe, then?" Koko called after her, and she simply 'humph'-ed in return, her pace quickening. Koko actually smiled up to his eyes as he stared at her walk away from him, planning out his next form of attack.

* * *

"I love you, please be mine…" Koko confessed, a rose in his hand, offering to his reflection in the mirror, which just mimicked and smiled back at him. "Coming off as too strong will ruin everything."

"I really don't understand you," Mochu said, coming next to him to wash his hands. The bathroom was brightly lit, with yellow tiles on the floor – which they didn't know was on purpose or accidental –and floral wallpapers. KItsu came up and leaded against the sink edge from Koko's other side, crossing his arms over his chest loosely.

"I have to admit, I'm not understanding the situation either, and I'm probably the one person who's supposed to understand you better then you understand yourself. Mind shining down some light on this situation?" Kitsu asked, looking a bit downcast. Koko sighed, before patting his friend's shoulder.

"You guys don't have to be so concerned for me, relax. I'll explain everything if things go smoothly…"

* * *

"I love you, please be mine…"

"I hope you get run over by a car," Sumire smoothly shot down, shoving the rose back at him before walking away.

* * *

"I love you, please be mine!" Kitsu mimicked, making exaggerated kissing noises, as the other's laughed at Koko's failed attempt. Koko groaned, banging his head on the bar countertop, as he tried to come up with another plan.

"I thought she'd appreciate the straightforwardness, since she didn't seem like the beat around bush type of girl," Koko moaned, sitting up straight as Natsume patted his shoulder.

"Give up," Natsume suddenly advised, which caught Koko off guard. The smiling boy quirked a brow at his friend, wondering what was going on. "Trust me, I know Sumire, and you don't want to get caught in a relationship with that type of girl."

"That type of girl? What's that supposed to mean?" Koko asked confusedly, even though inwardly he was feeling kind of hurt for the green haired girl, no matter how many times she'd shot him down that night.

"The… hard to handle, princess complex, everything-has-to-go-my-way type of girl…" Natsume tried to explain as best as he could. Suddenly, Koko stood up, and the guys looked up at him confusedly.

"All I got from that sentence was independent, hard-to-get, woman who knows how to carry herself and knows what she wants," Koko exclaimed with a smile, a newfound determination brewing within him as he went off to try once again.

* * *

"I can go home myself, you know," Sumire stated, a disapproving scowl etched over her features as Mikan pushed her toward the waiting Kokoro by the door.

"And waste money on a taxi when Koko has a car to take you home for free? Plus at this time of night? A beautiful girl like the great Sumire Shouda can't possibly go home by herself with the danger and threat of perverts and rapists lurking about," Mikan countered, pushing Sumire into the open door of the car, as Koko slammed it after her. "Make sure to make some progress with her, she's tough, but I believe in you," Mikan consoled, giving Koko a thumbs up before skipping back inside to find Natsume. Koko smiled after her, before getting into the car on the driver's side, and smiled at the scoffing girl.

"I don't need you to drive me home," Sumire started, but Koko ignored it and started up the car, backing out of his parking space, before driving away.

"Where do you live?" Koko asked, and Sumire snorted, which amused the detective, because he thought she'd try and be more lady-like.

"So you can stalk me? I don't think so buddy." She remained stubborn; her arms crossed over her chest, and stared out the window in silence.

"Ok, but if you don't tell me, I'll just take you over to my apartment. I can't guarantee what'll happen after that though…" Koko trailed off, letting her image run wild with the meaning behind the statement. Sumire bit her lower lip with anxiousness that Koko clearly saw through the reflection of the window, which he found really cute. After a few minutes, she heaved a heavy sigh of defeat, and told him her address.

Instead of trying to make conversation and get to know each other, like Mikan was intending, Sumire turned up the radio, the silence in the car filled up with country music that neither of them enjoyed, but didn't both to change. After about fifteen minutes of driving, Koko finally pulled up in front of Sumire's apartment, parking the car and getting out.

"Whoa, wait," Sumire grabbed his arm, stopping him from exiting the car. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Walk you to your door, of course," Koko answered easily, tilting his head confusedly, wondering if she thought he had any hidden intentions.

"You don't have to," Sumire went on, trying to get him to stay in the car, but he wasn't having any of it.

"If I don't do this, Mikan-chan is going to chew my head off. Come on, I'll just drop you off in front of your door and then I'll be gone," Koko pressed on, getting out the car and went around the car to open her door for her.

More silence followed as they went up the elevator to her floor, which was probably the longest less then a minute Sumire had ever lived. Stopping at the fifteenth floor, she got out and fumbled for her keys. Apparently when you try to speed up something, you become slower at it.

"So," Koko started, pausing for a moment when she clicked her tongue at his attempt to start a conversation with her. "Be my plus one?"

"I rather not be your plus anything, thank you very much," Sumire retorted, finally jamming the right key into the lock and opening her door. "Thank you for driving me home and pretending to be the good gentleman by walking me to my apartment door, but you can go now and forget everything that happened tonight, because I sure as hell am going to bang my head against a wall to do just that. Goodnight," she quickly concluded, slamming the door shut behind her. Looking through the peephole, she watched, waiting for him to leave.

"I can see your shadow that you're standing in front of the door," Koko commented, making her blush in embarrassment for being caught, but she bite her tongue, resisting the urge to counter his statement. Watching him chuckle, he shoved his hands into his pockets, before walking down the hall, back into the elevator to go down to his car. Sighing in relief that the night was finally over, Sumire turned around, only to stop in her tracks.

She spotted her cordless house phone, lying on her couch, instead of on the stand where she left it before leaving the house. She wracked her brain to remember if she had thrown it there, but came up blank. Clutching her purse tightly, she suddenly ran to the kitchen, opening a drawer and pulling out a loaded gun, her eyes scanning the apartment. Holding the handgun close to her body, she slipped off her heels for better mobility, slowly taking a thorough sweep of the apartment to check if she was alone or not. Walking into her bedroom, she checked in her closet, under the bed and the bathroom, before seeing if anything was stolen.

There were some things that were disoriented, but nothing seemed misplaced or taken. When Sumire opened her clothing and undergarment drawers, she found the items to be unfolded and tossed around with.

Already confirming that she was alone in the apartment, she locked all the windows and her door, keeping the handgun close by as she sat on her couch, trying to figure out what was going on.

'_What this the work of a pervert, who might have taken one of my underwear and ran? Or a rapist that was waiting for me, but saw I came home with a guy and scrammed? Or, even worse…' _Sumire's mind reeled to flashbacks of her past, before she clutched her hair, cradled her head in her arms, before letting out a slow groan. _'Never going back to that, never again…'_ she thought to herself, her throat clogging up with a cry from just the thought of it.

_**To be continued...**_


	3. Disenchant

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing but the story and ideas.**

* * *

**Beauty's Brooch**

_Chapter 3: Disenchant_

"So, what do you say? Be my plus one?" She could practically hear his smile through the cellphone, as she rolled her eyes in response, crossing her legs in the taxi. She wondered whose unknown number was calling her on her way to work, but she definitely didn't see this coming, no matter how unpredictable the guy was.

"How did you even get my number?" Sumire asked, acting cool and sophisticated even if he couldn't physically see her, inspecting her manicured nails.

"I'll never reveal my sources," he said in a mysterious, deep, and sexy tone. Sumire blinked at her train of thought, shaking her head. Not sexy. No way in hell was he sexy.

"Mikan?" Sumire questioned with an obvious tone, quirking a thin brow.

"Mikan," he confirmed with a chuckle. She could hear the hustle and bustle going around in the background, and wondered where he was. Not that she was thinking of him or anything, but it was hard to ignore him when his voice was literally next to and talking in her ear.

"Don't you have, I don't know, a job or something? Anything else to do other than pester me at this moment?" Sumire pushed on, trying to get him to ease off of her. Looking out the window, she recognized the street, and decided to cut the call quick before she got out. She didn't want to even hold a conversation with Kokoro, if possible.

"I do actually, I'm a detective," Kokoro clarified, sounding proud of himself, which almost made Sumire snort in reply. She was never a fan of the law, but she wasn't going to notify him of her displeasure to his occupation. It would only drag on the conversation she did not want to have with him. Instead, she decided to go along with her stone-hard approach.

"I didn't ask what you were, I was just asking if you had one or not," she stated obviously, mentally noting that she should stay _very _far away from him after learning this particular fact. She didn't need any detective digging through her background, or digging through anything of hers for that matter.

"But you were curious," he countered, as if he could easily read her like a book – even if they weren't physically next to each other at the moment. Sumire could sense his smug smirk, which ticked her off a bit. Taking the money out of her purse, she quickly wrapped things up with Kokoro.

"Look, Yome-" Sumire began, paying the taxi driver, but Kokoro interrupted her mid-way.

"Call me Koko."

"Yome, I've got to go to work, and _actually_ work. I will not be your plus anything, so goodbye," Sumire concluded, hanging up her phone before he could retaliate and placed it in her purse, bumping her hip with the taxi door to close it.

Pushing her sunglasses onto the top of her head, which pushed her bangs out of her face, she strode over to her parlor entrance. Glancing to her side, she felt an odd presence staring at her. Stopping with her hand on the push bar of the glass door, she glared at the man staring bluntly at her. He was tall, wearing a too big overcoat with the collar up, baggy pants, and worn out sneakers. He had his hands shoved into his pockets, with probably a weapon clutched in his grasp with how suspicious he was looking. They stared at each other a moment, before finally the man gave up first, turning and disappearing in the nearby alleyway, leaving Sumire alone on the crowded sidewalk. Taking a moment to compose herself, she walked into the parlor, getting blasted from the air conditioning.

Sumire was used to people following her around, but that was a long time ago. When they finally stopped, she greedily relished in her freedom, which apparently couldn't have ended soon enough, as they were starting to act up again. She also won't go to the police for help. She'd slit her throat before she'd ask anyone for help, that is. Something must have gone amiss, but she would ignore it, as it was none of her business any longer. She left that part of her life behind her, and was moving on.

Walking up to the front counter, she smiled as she grabbed the still warm cup of coffee from her secretary, Wakako Usami. "Hey girlfriend, you're booked all day today. Glad you got here on time, I was starting to think you would call in sick," Wakako greeted, which Sumire returned her with a look that said 'no-way,' but Sumire actually was thinking about it. After what happened to her apartment last night, she was reluctant to open the door on her way out. She double checked the windows and carefully locked the door on her way out, even asked the attendant if anyone came to her apartment last night while she was out, or anyone suspicious looking came in or out the building. There was none, which meant they used a different approach to enter her apartment, and she was at a stump.

"So, who's the first sucker going to pay an insane amount of money to look half as beautiful as myself?" Sumire joked light-heartedly, taking a sip of her coffee, and instantly felt better as the warm liquid settled in her stomach. Sighing to herself, she saw that Wakako looked a bit unsettled, which got Sumire worried. The girl wasn't as confident as Sumire, but she tried to put up as much of a front as she could. So if she was looking concerned, then it had to be something big. "What's wrong?"

"There was this guy, looked really big, and scary, and all suspicious. He was asking for you. I told him you weren't in yet, and he still wouldn't be able to see you if he didn't have an appointment. Then I asked if he wanted an appointment, though really mean, so he'd get the message that he wasn't welcome here. He said no and left, but that was like half an hour ago, and I saw the way you hesitated at the door. Was he still outside waiting for you, since I told him he couldn't wait inside? Is this happening again? I knew this was happening when you first opened this business and I didn't ask any questions, but that was a long time ago, and you said it would stop eventually, which it did. But, Sumire-" Wakako rambled, panicking a bit and fiddling with her fingers in a nervous gesture, which was until Sumire stopped her.

"Just get back to work, Waka, and I will as well. Everything is going to be alright, just like it always is," Sumire ended with a confident nod, pushing away from the counter and taking a deep, cleansing breath, before pulling out her best professional smile. "Who's ready to look fabulous today?"

* * *

Kokoro smiled, a soft edge to it, as he saved her number into his cellphone. He put the device away, opening up the lid of his laptop, logging in.

"Hey there, Yome? Any cases lately?" one of his co-workers suddenly butted in, placing a mug of coffee on his desk, and then took a seat next to him. Kokoro graciously took it, browsing for an article on the police database.

"Nope, I said I'd take a two-day leave for my friend's wedding which is coming up soon; one for the bachelor's party, and the other for the actual wedding day. I'll help and assist on any main cases, though, if there is. Mostly with brainstorming, interrogations, and if absolutely necessary, fieldwork as well," Kokoro explained, a smug smile forming over his lips as he found what he was looking for. "Bingo," he whispered under his breath, printing out the article.

"What'cha got there, Yome?" he asked, nosing in on Kokoro's business. Kokoro just smiled in return, taking the article and folding it up, stuffing it in his pocket. He heard someone calling for him to help with some files, which he got up, grateful for the distraction.

"What are you, a detective all of a sudden?" Kokoro countered, smiling playfully down at the co-worker, before he jet off to help the other individual. However, at the same time, his mind was racing for his next move.

* * *

"So how was work today?" Kokoro asked, at the moment Sumire closed and locked the door to her salon, always the last person out. Taking a slow, calming breath, not even phased by the turn of events, she stuffed the keys into her bag, turned, and walked away from him.

Her plans were ruined, as it would seem, with his sudden arrival. She was planning on locking up, hailing a cab, and take a bubble bath once she got home. She knew there was a storm brewing for her in the near future, and she didn't need Detective Leach on her ass ever chance he had. Before she got far, though, his voice penetrated her train of thoughts. "My car is close, I can take you home if you want."

She ignored him, as acknowledging his existence would mean she'd lose this silent battle to him. She kept walking, going to take a detour from the alleyway. However, as she reached the mouth of the entrance, she spotted a group of ruffians blocking the alley mid-way, and thought better of it. She was about to turn and hightail away, until Kokoro grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the alley. "Hey, it's dangerous for a beautiful lady to go into those types of places at this time of night. Come on, I'll take you home."

"I'm not giving you anything back for being my chauffer. You're doing this for free," Sumire finally replied, letting him drag her away. Mainly because his strength outmatched hers, and she basically had no other choice. That was what she convinced herself, at least. Not because he called her beautiful or anything, of course.

"I would never ask you to pay for my services, or anything, for that matter," Kokoro replied smoothly, winking back at her, which just made her roll her eyes at his attempt to try and act like the gentleman.

"I meant I'm not owing you anything, like being your plus whatever just because you want to drive me around," Sumire snuffed, recognizing his car as they neared it. She was about to enter the car, until she tilted her head in slight confusion – or was it suspicion at his sudden actions, seeing him open the passenger door for her. Considering she acted like a princess, and the mass amount of boyfriends she's gone through, she was surprised since not one of them so much as opened a door for her. _'No wonder I broke up with them,'_ Sumire thought, but that didn't necessarily mean anything in this situation, since she basically wasn't dating Kokoro. Or ever will, for that matter. He was just proving her point that men are horrible after the wooing stage of a relationship, and didn't bother with anything romantic related after the girl agrees to be with them. She would make sure to disenchant him from his notion of her agreeing to be his plus one, and that nothing will come out of them two being together.

"I'll get you to agree to be my plus one invite without any conniving schemes like that. I'm an honest to god good sport. I'm on the police force, after all," Kokoro tried to sooth, leaning over and resting his chin on the car door, waiting for her to graciously accept his offer and sit in his car. Which she did, obediently, but couldn't resist the urge to make a snide comment at the same time.

"Ever heard of dirty cops?" Sumire threw at his face, crossing her arms over her chest, with a stubborn but cute pout.

"Only if you're into that kind of stuff, princess," Kokoro replied seductively with a wink, closing the car door on her appalled expression, chuckling to himself as he slid over the hood to his side of the car. Starting up the car and buckling up, he turned to her, his usual smile in place, staring back at her still look of disbelief. He resisted the urge to burst out laughing, and instead, leaned over to her. She pushed her body hard against the car seat, trying to get as far away from him as she could in the cramped space, closing her eyes shut tight, waiting to see what he had planned for her. She knew self-defense, her tough exterior wasn't all just bark with no bite, but she didn't fully understand his intentions to make a move yet.

A moment later, she heard the crunch of the car wheels turning on the tar of the road, and opened her eyes to see Kokoro already directing his attention to the road, driving away. Looking down to inspect her attire, she noticed her seatbelt was buckled, which he obviously did for her. She self-consciously fixed her brooch, which was pinned on her blouse, fingering it a bit out of nerves. "I could have buckled it myself," she tried to snap, but it came out in a low tone, trying as hard she could to hold on to keep to her hard girl attitude.

"I wasn't expecting a thank you or anything, but it's the thought that counts." He didn't look at her for a while, concentrating on the road, and he was suddenly silent. This obviously tipped Sumire off, as vigilant as she was, but she looked out the window to try and not start up anything. That was when she realized they were driving on a road that was the opposite way to her apartment building, and he wasn't planning on dropping her off home anytime soon.

"Are you kidnapping me?" Sumire asked, a slip of the tongue, without looking at him. Staring at his reflection from her window, she saw that he glanced over at her, before offering a good-natured smile, which she did not return.

"I'm a cop, I don't kidnap innocent people."

"Then where are you taking me? This is obviously not the way to my house."

"I'm going to convince you to be my plus one."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that, Detective Smiles?"

"By taking you on a date, Princess Perms." It took a few moments before Sumire could digest the information, because when she finally realized what he said, she snapped her head to him. She stared at him with wide, furious eyes, her mouth twitching from trying to keep a straight, calm exposure. However, her efforts were put to vain, as her words came out as an angry snarl.

"Excuse me?"

**_To be continued..._**


	4. DS

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing but the story and ideas.**

* * *

**Beauty's Brooch**

_Chapter 4: DS_

"You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet. First you kidnap her, and then you take her to a diner in the bad part of town. What's next, date rape drugs?" Sumire asked sarcastically, sitting in one of the booths of the diner as Kokoro came back after ordering for them.

"You might give off a classy appearance, but I thought you might appreciate this more then a fancy restaurant," Kokoro explained with an easy shrug, his goofy smile still in place, which was starting to piss Sumire off. She felt unsettled being in this part of town, and fidgeted in her seat, uncrossing and crossing her legs. She lived on the exact opposite of the crap side of town for a reason.

"There's a term girls would call your type, do you know what it is?" Sumire questioned, and with a quirked, interested brow, Kokoro shook his head. "A cheap date." Sumire sat back on the shiny red seat, smirking at the man sitting opposite to her. Kokoro didn't even flinch, as he put his hands up, a sheepish expression in place.

"You caught me, book me copper. Don't go easy on the handcuffs," he admitted defeat, winking at her. Looking around, she quickly leaned over the table, pulling his hands down so he wouldn't embarrass her in front of the strangers. He chuckled, before smiling politely up at the waitress who placed two plates in front of them. Kokoro's had a medium-sized burger, French fries, and onion rings. While on the other hand, Sumire's plate had a turkey sandwich cut in half diagonally, French fries, and a salad. Kokoro thanked the server as she placed their drinks down, before walking away. As he looked to Sumire, his smile grew at her displeased expression. "What?"

"What the hell is this?" she inquired, trying to keep her cool, not letting herself snap at his growing amusement from her negative reactions to him.

"A sandwich, isn't that what you wanted?"

"I said I'd rather regurgitate my stomach acid and spit it on your face then eat the shit they serve here," Sumire corrected, looking away from him. She noticed one of the employees giving her a disgusted look, obviously hearing what she just said, but didn't even bother to say 'no offense' to them. She meant what she said; she doesn't have to apologize for telling the truth, or anything for that matter.

"You look hungry, though," Kokoro went on, taking a bite out of his fries, as Sumire directed her attention back to him.

"Did you just call me an anorexic?" she asked, with narrow eyes.

"No, I just thought you'd be hungry after a full day of work, is all," he corrected around a mouthful of onion rings.

"Do you know how many carbs are in half this sandwich alone?" she pushed on, rejecting the mere idea of ingesting the crap laid out before her.

"I didn't realize you were watching your weight," he replied, with fake surprise in his tone.

"Did you just call me fat, Yome?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes further at his unchanging expression. She'd surely find a way, soon, to wipe that damn smile off his face. Somehow. Eventually.

"I just called you beautiful, actually. And I said to call me Koko, Princess Perms." Kokoro just smiled, unfazed by her unmanageable attitude. _'I'm pulling all my tricks here, why isn't he getting sick of me yet?' _Sumire thought to herself, watching him carefully as he grabbed his burger, about to take a bite out of it, until he snorted. He put the burger down, and tried as hard as he could to hold in his laughter.

"I'm going to regret asking this, but what's so funny?" Sumire inquired with a breathy sigh, picking up a French fry and stuffing it in her mouth aggressively, angrily chewing on it.

"Princess Perms… PP…" he said as way of explaining, before bending over and putting his hand over his mouth, trying as hard as he could not to laugh.

"Are you for real? You are so immature," Sumire grumbled with a roll of her eyes. Seeing him calm down, she ate a forkful of salad, before addressing him once again. "If that's your new nickname for me, then I'm going to start calling you DS."

"DS? Does that stand for Detective Smiles?" Kokoro questioned with a grin, remembering what she called him in his car on the way over to the diner.

"No, for Dumb Shit," she retaliated, grabbing her purse before getting up and making her way to the bathroom, fuming. Kokoro watched her watch away appreciatively, suppressing his chuckles at her comment. When his eyes trailed away from her figure, he noticed a man watching her as well, talking animatedly into his cellphone. Even if the guy was all the way on the other side of the diner, it was practically empty, so Kokoro heard the man clearly say "come here quick… get all the boys… yes, I'm sure… it's definitely her…"

'_Now, what is that supposed to mean?'_ Kokoro thought to himself, not knowing if things were running smoothly, or if he should be worried. Or was he just misinterpreting the situation?

"Asshole," Sumire said into the mirror after every five seconds, fixing up her make-up a bit. Of course, the swear wasn't at herself, but at the man accompanying her, waiting outside for her. She just hoped he wasn't waiting outside for her. She tried this on a few other guys she didn't want to date in the past, and by the time she walked out the bathroom, they had deserted her. She doubted Kokoro would, since he seemed to be strangely persistent, but a girl could only hope.

She moved back to inspect her handiwork, fluffed her hair a bit while making pouty faces into the mirror at herself. Fixing her brooch over her business jacket, she gave herself a last once-over, before smiling in content. She was about to walk out, thinking she gave the guy more then enough time to run away, when her phone suddenly buzzed. Fishing it out of her purse, it was a text message from Nonoko, asking her if she wanted to have a girl's shopping spree tomorrow.

The blue haired scientist had her at 'shopping' and 'spree,' and quickly texted her that she would definitely be there. Dumping her phone back into her purse, she took a deep breath, before flipping her hair back and exiting the washroom. However, before she got out far, a man ambushed her.

"Sumire? It's really you, right? I'm not seeing things?" the man, who she cursed her mind for recognizing as Hayate, asked her with an excited expression. She simply walked around him, playing as if she didn't know the crazy guy, as she walked back toward her booth. "Sumire, wait up!" Hayate persisted, grabbing her arm. She grabbed onto the fork of a nearby table and spun to face him, aiming the fork at his jugular.

"Listen here you, I don't know you, and you don't know me. You didn't see me here, and you wont tell anyone else either, got it? Now get the hell out of my face," Sumire threatened in a low tone, glaring up at the idiot. Hayate held his hands up defensively, nodding, letting out a breath of relief as she turned around and walked back to her own booth, tossing the fork aside.

"Did you know that guy?" Kokoro asked, gesturing to the guy she just threatened with an amused smile. Sumire just stared down at her food, and actually started munching down on her sandwich. To be honest, Sumire was surprised he was still sitting in the booth with her, after the way she'd treated him the day before and today. She would have left her by now, if she were her own date.

"No," she simply answered, evading.

"He seemed to know you pretty well," Kokoro pushed on, trying to catch her eye, having fun jerking around as she turned her head away from him.

"Must be one of my infinite stalkers," Sumire shrugged nonchalantly, hoping he either left, or was keeping his distance. He seemed pretty freaked out by her fork, so might as well forget about the whole thing. Which, obviously, Kokoro was having none of.

"Boasting about your popularity now, are you?"

"Oh my, are you, perhaps, jealous, Yome?" Sumire answered his question with another question, looking up and quirking a brow at him.

"Uh, yeah, duh. I'm burning with jealousy here. He's only known you for less then two minutes, and already got the fork treatment. I really need to step up my game here," Kokoro exclaimed incredulously, looking positively offended. Both of them stared at each other for a moment, before surprisingly, Sumire was the first one to break out into a smile and giggles. Her giggles soon turned into laughter, until she was wiping tears from the corner of her eyes. Kokoro smiled, feeling a bit accomplished and proud of himself, as he leaned forward and cupped her face with his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "Hey, there you go. I finally got you to laugh. Do I get a prize for that?" When she shook her head, trying to stop laughing, he shrugged easily, smiling warmly at her without letting go of her face. "Fine by me, I got to see your beautiful smile, that's the best reward any man could ask for."

That was when Sumire's smile was completely wiped off her face, and she stared at Kokoro's face. Really stared, this time, as if she was seeing him for the first time. His blonde spikey hair, his never faltering smile, his prominent jawline, his salient collarbone, and his defined built under his shirt, and she didn't dare venture any lower. However, when she looked up at him once again, she stared into his obtrusive brown eyes. Usually his smile was misleading, and there was a saying that the eyes were the windows into a person's soul. They told you more about a person then what they said. His eyes were telling her everything she needed to know at this very moment. For once, even since she'd met Kokoro, she felt like she could trust him, and wanted to be around him. Like he wanted to be with her, on his own free will, and he enjoyed her company. She sucked in a sharp breath, before moving away from his hands, trying to compose herself.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her, his smile still there, but she learned to look into his eyes to search his emotions, and they projected genuine worry. She gulped, keeping her emotions n check, before clearing her throat. Before she could open her mouth and reassure him, Kokoro looked past her, quirking an interested brow. "Your stalking is coming this way."

"What?" Sumire questioned dubiously, turning back to see that Hayate was indeed coming their way, and looked pleased about something. She turned back to Kokoro and grabbed his hand, standing up while grabbing for her purse. "Hey, do you want to get out of here and make out in your car?"

"Did you just read my mind?" Kokoro inquired (ironically), as he got up and followed after her, letting her drag him out the diner. He tossed a few coins into the tip jar on the counter on his way out, winking at the waitress who served them before.

As they walked out into the parking lot, Sumire looked around for any signs of Hayate. Even if it was dark, the only source of light coming from the diner windows and the flickering streetlight over the sidewalk, Sumire assessed that the coast was clear and let go of Kokoro's hand. She crossed her arms over her chest, before starting to walk away from the parking lot, toward the sidewalk.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; where do you think you are going by yourself?" Kokoro asked, easily catching up from behind her, before grabbing her hand and turning her toward him.

"I'm going home, what do you think? Did you seriously think I would make out with you in your car?" Sumire countered, trying to pull her hand out of his grip, but failing. She didn't want to be anywhere near him, as he made her think weird things and her heart beat irregularly, to the point that she thinks she was about to have a heart attack. His weirdness was obviously rubbing off on her, like a contagious disease, and she needed to get away fast before she fell victim and succumbed to it.

"Just a little bit, but that's besides the point. Do you think I'm going to let you walk at this time of night, alone, to you apartment, which happens to be across town?" Kokoro retaliated, before beginning to pull her toward the direction of his car.

"And who's fault do you think I got here in the first place?" Sumire demanded, finally freeing her wrist from his grip, staring at him with a stubborn expression, her jaw slightly lifted a bit higher in defiance.

"And I'll take full responsibility, by taking you home now. But first you've got to get into the car, Sumire," Kokoro requested in a soft, reasoning tone, trying to persuade her in a more gentle manner.

"I can't trust to get into the same car as you, you might drive me to some other weird place," Sumire opposed, being difficult purposely, watching him with a bit of satisfaction as he sighed at her behavior.

"Look, I'll even let you drive if you want. Just please; get in the car already. I won't sleep soundly tonight if I let you walk alone in this part of town at night, while I'm sober, and aware of the consequences." Sumire sighed, letting him drag her back to his car. She could feel that he was suspicious of giving up easily without a word, but she wasn't getting anywhere with him with just her words. Her rebellious soul would have to settle for a few minutes.

As he opened the door for her, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, catching him completely off guard. Pressing her body close to his, she pushed up on her toes, whispering into his ear. "How about that promised make out session in your car now?" Before he could answer, too shocked to even anyways, she maneuvered to his not-smiling-anymore mouth, about to brush her lips over his, when suddenly she pressed a pressure point between his neck and shoulder. She watched his eyes roll back, and catch his limp body, struggling a bit, before she pushed him into his car and slammed the door shut, clasping her hands together. "Men are heavy with muscles, but no brains," Sumire whispered, mostly to herself, as she began to walk away. Crossing her arms over her chest, she pulled her jacket around herself tighter, before clanking her heels down the cement pathway.

Flies buzzed around the garbage, papers and broken glass littered the ground; rats and cockroaches scurried around, hobos hustled together for warmth, and she avoided eye contact with anyone still walking around. It was getting colder; her breathes coming out in fog clouds, the summer obviously behind them. It looked like it might rain soon, which meant she needed to find and haul a taxi soon.

It was only a matter of time before Kokoro would wake up, and when he realized what she did, he would naturally be royally pissed off at her. That would probably finally get him off her back, even if a small part of her was disappointed if he gave up after that. She shook her head, not paying heed to that thought, reprimanding herself from entertaining any further thoughts over a certain Kokoro Yome. _'No man can handle a wannabe princess,'_ she thought, remembering what one of her old boyfriends had told her before he broke up with her. She shrugged, pushing the thought aside, concentrating on the here and now.

Though, she was a little too late when reeling herself back to reality. If she had been paying attention, she would have heard the man's footsteps behind her sooner, and able to avoid what was to come next. A man, Sumire could tell from his callous hand and strong grip, grabbed her wrist and twisted her around to face him – this would be the third man tonight, Sumire really needed to work on that. Before Sumire could scream out to grab attention and signal for help, or even attempt to fight back, the back pulled his fist back, and knocked her out.

In a state of dizziness, she stumbled on her footing, her left eye throbbing harshly. In the confusion, the last thing she saw was the sidewalk meeting her face. She fell, face first, her head hitting the cement pavement, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Kokoro groaned, blinking his eyes to adjust his sight to his surroundings, trying to remember what happened. Slowly sitting up, he rubbed his head, his wide eyes assessing the situation. He was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, alone, at the parking lot diner.

That was when he remembered that Sumire had knocked him out unconscious, and a wide grin broke across his lips.

"Well played, princess," Kokoro whispered to himself, hopping over the gear and sitting in the driver's seat, putting his seat belt on before starting up the car. Seeing the time, he calculated in his mind when he estimated they had left the diner. At least a half an hour passed, and knowing how resourceful a woman Sumire was, she probably got a cab and was close or at her apartment by now. Backing out, Kokoro would drive by her apartment to make sure she was there, before heading home for a well-deserved night's rest.

Smiling to himself, he drove onto the road, remembering the almost kissed they almost shared on their almost date. His plan was going smoothly.

* * *

Sumire realized she wasn't home, or at the diner, or in Kokoro's car, or at her parlor, or anywhere comfortable for that matter when she regained consciously. Groggily opening her eyes, she groaned, as she couldn't move her hands, pulling on them as hard as her half-conscious mind would allow. Adjusting her eyes to the blinding lights of the room, she looked up to see a man hovering over her, his curly blue hair his most negatively outstanding feature. As her vision cleared, and she looked into his smirking face, her expression immediately soured.

"Welcome home, sister," he greeted, as bile rose up in her throat.

"I hate mobsters…"


End file.
